John Melbye
- 5 days ago
- 2 min
There must be a better way
I asked a group of supply chain purchasing and planning professionals a simple question. How do they decide just when to place an order?
13 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Nov 13
- 3 min
The Great Labor Shortage. Are we the problem?
We’re looking for personalities, team players, attitudes, tenacity, verbal communication skills that, frankly, cannot be put on a resume.
8 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Nov 7
- 2 min
Chasing the same problems for decades
Have we been chasing the same problems for decades? Reduce Inventory, they said. And they’re still saying it. We’ve been working on the...
2 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Oct 28
- 2 min
A CFO, a CEO and a COO walk into a bar.
Actually, they walked into my office, but that’s not as interesting. I asked them, “What are the areas of greatest risk to your business?”
18 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Sep 10
- 2 min
The Problem-Solving Dilemma
When trying to implement a culture change or a lifestyle change or any kind of a change, you need to be intentional.
8 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Jul 8
- 2 min
Safety Stock - a misleading solution
You return home and open the fridge door to put the eggs away. That’s when you realize that you still have six eggs.
121 views0 comments
John Melbye
- May 16
- 3 min
Supply Chain through the Refrigerator
Sometimes Supply Chain feels harder than Mission Impossible. Is five seconds really enough warning prior to something self-destructing?
42 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Apr 15
- 2 min
Measuring Success - a Future Perspective
Employee Satisfaction Index. What if we could measure the work enjoyment level of our employees?
10 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Apr 8
- 4 min
Supply Chain Visibility - Are we approaching it wrong?
MRP telling you that you should have ordered parts a week ago is not sufficient (or funny anymore).
17 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Mar 26
- 2 min
Julie and Matt go to a Workshop. Eyes Wide Open.
“And then the data we feed into that long chain of precision is the opposite of precise. Or maybe more accurately - it’s Precisely Wrong.”
9 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Mar 22
- 3 min
Business just grew. A lot. Adventures of Julie and Matt.
“Something about focusing on our capabilities, and tying our operational strategies to the corporate vision, wasn’t it?
11 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Mar 6
- 4 min
Sales and Operations Planning. Let's re-imagine it.
Why your S&OP is disappointing you.
30 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Mar 1
- 2 min
The Mystery of Company Culture vs Work Life Balance.
Instead of using the interview process to explain about the details of the expected job performance, we can do better.
12 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Feb 15
- 2 min
Fighting Change - Because Status Quo is Sexy.
Here’s my challenge question to you. What do we use in our lives that hasn’t appreciably changed in 20 to 50 years?
17 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Feb 10
- 3 min
Traditional MRP - We need to talk.
Side note: When you compensate by increasing the safety stock level, it doesn’t make this problem go away. It makes it worse.
8 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Feb 8
- 2 min
Perspectives need to change.
So, as we slowly spin into chaos, we have to finally admit that trying to use a tool based on precision and exactness creates a challenge...
15 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Jan 18
- 3 min
Focus on Problems to Solve, not numbers to meet.
Breakfast Epiphanies... How does your company set business goals?
27 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Dec 20, 2020
- 4 min
Supply Chain Management - Three Holy Grails
The Holy Grails of Supply Chain Management What are the things that, if we could find them, would make Supply Chain Management a whole...
27 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Nov 2, 2020
- 3 min
Complexity and Precision - Part Two
Complexity and Precision – Part Two In an already complex world, and the ever-changing interwoven relationships and connections, we must...
11 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Nov 2, 2020
- 3 min
Complexity and Precision - Part One
Complexity and Precision – Part One In an already complex world, and the ever-changing interwoven relationships and connections, we must...
11 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Oct 5, 2020
- 3 min
Capability vs Experience
Mr. Tone was attempting to achieve excellence, even though mediocrity would have been sufficient.
23 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Oct 3, 2020
- 2 min
A Customer Service Story
A funny thing happened on the way to discovering the Lead Time Dear Customer, During our phone conversation yesterday, when you asked me...
31 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Aug 22, 2020
- 3 min
Evolving vs Staying the Same.
The Next Evolution of Material Requirements Planning For years now, there has been a new methodology called Demand Driven Material...
43 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Jul 27, 2020
- 2 min
A new look at VISIBILITY
Visibility, but not the usual. Years ago, at one of our APICS meetings, we had a meteorologist from a local television station as our...
42 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Jun 29, 2020
- 2 min
Why do the old methods still exist?
I dislike using a flathead screwdriver. Hard to hit the target, hard to hold position and with every twist I must reset my grip which...
65 views0 comments
John Melbye
- May 6, 2020
- 3 min
Metric Wars - Level 1
Metric Wars – Beginner Level Once again, I arrived at work to find that we are out of a raw material. Not the same raw material as last...
7 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Mar 28, 2020
- 4 min
Bridging the Gap for progress
BRIDGE THE GAP One of the most well-known awareness campaigns in the world is London’s “Mind the Gap” campaign designed to raise...
8 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Mar 28, 2020
- 3 min
Uncommon Sense
Uncommon Sense Does managing your supply chain today feel like a game of Whack-a-Mole? Wait for the problem to surface and then work as...
7 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Nov 24, 2019
- 2 min
Our own worst enemy
Supply Chain Complexity It may be common knowledge among Supply Chain Professionals, but I wonder if everyone else in most companies...
18 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Nov 24, 2019
- 2 min
MRP doesn't work well today
Does everyone understand why MRP doesn’t work today? Let’s look at an example of one MRP issue. An order arrives for 20 pieces of part...
5 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Nov 24, 2019
- 2 min
Roadmap to Supply Chain Success
Steps to Supply Chain Sanity and Success First, recognize that Inventory is your leverage point. Having the right inventory in the right...
6 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Nov 24, 2019
- 3 min
Perspectives from the "other side"
How is it possible that you can’t see my point of view? It doesn’t matter if you’re in upper management or deep in the trenches, neither...
2 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Nov 24, 2019
- 2 min
Develop a company training strategy
What is the training strategy of your company? What’s that? Is there no strategy? How many of you think your company has no comprehensive...
3 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Nov 24, 2019
- 3 min
The Safety Stock Dance
Do the Safety Stock Dance. Have you ever wondered how some bit of knowledge becomes common knowledge? Especially when it’s later...
7 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Feb 24, 2019
- 2 min
Why focus on Artificial Intelligence?
What about regular, common-sense, average Intelligence? The world is abuzz with speculation about the coming effects of Artificial...
26 views1 comment
John Melbye
- Feb 3, 2019
- 2 min
Supply Chain - A Travel Analogy
Have you ever travelled? Stupid question, of course you have. It starts with planning and scheduling, doesn't it? Deciding the dates to...
15 views0 comments
John Melbye
- Feb 3, 2019
- 2 min
Supply Chain Illustrated. The Beginning.
Where it all began. What is it that makes something a Supply Chain? Is it simply viewpoint? Everywhere I look I see supply chain. The...
35 views0 comments
